November 25, 2009 15:19 PM

India's Woman President Makes History By Flying In Sukhoi

By P. Vijian

NEW DELHI, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Indian President Pratibha Patil made history on Wednesday after she successfully flew in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet.

The 74-year-old Patil was the second Indian president to do the stint, taking off from the Pune Lohegaon Air Force Base, after former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam did a similar sortie in 1997.

Patil, India's first woman president and the supreme commander of the armed forces, did a sortie in the Indian air force jet that lasted for about 30 minutes this morning.

CCNI-IBN showed live visuals of the president in the anti-gravity suit and flying in an aircraft piloted by Wing Commander S. Sajan of the Rhino Squadron.

The aircraft flew at speeds of about 700-800 km/hr and did not touch the supersonic mark of 1,100 km/hr, said the television channel.

The president underwent rigorous training, including yoga and treadmill exercises, for the last two months before she was declared fit by doctors to do the historic feat Wednesday.

Patil was sworn in as president in July 2007 and succeeded Kalam, India's popular scientist.

Indian media claimed that Patil is the oldest woman in the world to fly in a combat aircraft.

-- BERNAMA

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